Ko Libong
When we were at the travel agent trying to make reservations for the next island, we tried but could not get three nights at the national park in the south. I took that to mean that we were meant to go to Ko Libong, an island that I had been told about by a traveler on this trip. We were paying about $40 for a room per night and in Thailand that gives you a really nice room. I had this island already pictured in my mind... white sand beach. Our rooms would open right to that sand beach. The rooms would be top notch, with all the comforts. The truth was that it was totally different than I ever imagined and my first reaction off the boat was that I wished we had gone somewhere else. BUT, in the days there, both of us turned 180 degrees about the island and it was hard to leave!
We left Krabi on a bus at about noon. The bus ride was a two hours to a town called Trang, where we had to get a short tuk tuk to another small mini van ride out to the shore. That was crowded with lots of local Thais stopping at places along the way. As often happens, there was a Thai man that took us under his "wing" and helped us find the van and know where we were to go. When he got off at his house midway, he waved and wished us a good journey. In another half an hour we were at the pier. I had seen a sign for the resort we were suppose to go to so I made my way back there and met Anne, who said in her perfect English "We have been waiting for you". She called around and found a long tail boat that was not on dry land (it was now low tide) and he was over to get us and loading up the suitcases. We were off flying over the waves with Rick holding the tarp down in the front so we were not drenched by the salt spray. In about 40 minutes the boat was pulling up to the one area that was a sandy walk into the shore, among rather rocky coast.
As we walked up, the beach was quite littered with many items--dirty children's diapers, plastic bags of all sorts from food, glass and a host of other items. The room was near the beach, and adequate, but not what I had pictured. Our host was Professor Laurence, a retired anthropology professor who has started this Nature Resort 10 years ago as an ecological project to be in harmony with nature. Though HE was recyling all his plastic bottles, and hauling back all the garbage to the mainland, and respecting nature in everyway he could, his Muslim neighbors who inhabited this island of about 2000 people were not of the same dispostion in their relationship with trash. He and his family used family land to create this resort and work hard to provided it all.. even the organic vegetables that he grows on a farm near Krabi. After settling into our rooms, we were back at the restaurnat with Dr. Laurence having the Muslim women that cooked (and did lots of other things) bring out the day's latest catch... fresh squid and fish. Rick had never had squid, so a round of deep fried squid and a few other dishes. I have to say the food was nothing less than DELICIOUS and that went for every meal!
The island is quite a large island and has about three villages of about 5-7 hundred mostly 
Muslim people. We walked into the village about an hour away from the resort, along a sand dirt track big enough for a motorcycle (there is lots of trash just thrown here--piles of 
bottles, and lots of trash laying around) and on to a one lane dirt road. The walking was HOT! and the dirt road dry. Once we left the small village area, the jungle was the only thing we saw besides the electic lines along the road. People would wave and smile, but usually they were at least two on a bike already and there was no more room for two big Westerners. Finally, two bikes stopped and offered us a ride--we gladly took it. I never knew what they were asking us--I think they thought we wanted to go to the port city on the north side. I finally tapped the man on the shoulder to tell him to stop as we were heading out of the village we had come to. We thanked them and gave them some baht and started wandering around the city. We found a small shop with a table to sit. I looked around and picked out a couple of drinks, some chips.
The more we sat there, the more we enjoyed it all and became a part of the life. The woman there was making small Thai snacks with banana leaves. Her husband had brought in large leaves and she was tearing them into snack size "wrappers" and cutting the edges. We watched a deaf man come in, signing to the owners about what he wanted, other locals having coffee and buying a few cigarettes (a pack was too much money, so people bought individual cigarettes from a plastic container). We watched the traffic of motorcycles roll by with birds in cages being carried, propane tanks bungied to the back on others, and young children with their feet barely reaching the pedals driving to their destination. We had settled in!
We decided to walk the village and see what else 
was around.
There were about 3-4 rows of houses and businesses along the water's edge. People were friendly and smiling... we were the only foreigners we saw for the whole day (there are only two places to stay on this island and in our place there were no more than 6 during our three days). Beautifully scarved --fushia, white with sparkles, black, light blue--women walked the streets and rode on the motobikes. Life was all around and here it was evident that everyone knew everyone else. When we had walked around the village, we went back to see how the woman at our first place was coming with whatever was going to be wrapped in the banana leaves. When we got there, her husband was just starting to deep fry small bananas, sliced longways and dipped in a coconut batter. When they were cooked and placed for sale we bought a plate full..a taste treat! She was also making bananas with sweet rice to wrap in the banana leaves. I asked her if they were done (lots of sign language during our time there!) and their kind way, she had her daughter go down to the next place and buy some for us as hers would not be done for a while. 
We opened up the wrapped banana leaf and bit into the sweet rice and sliced banana.. another taste treat! This shop was along the walkway to get to the place where the village took baths. We saw people walking by the whole time that were wrapped in sarongs or towels carrying their small plastic tub with a bar of soap, toothpaste and toothbrush. And there were many smiles and waves as people walked by us at the table. As we sat there, Rick was watching the people biking by/walking by and said "I am beginning to recognize some of the people going by!" And so was our day in the small village on Ko Libong.. the most remote island I have ever been on in Thailand! It had grown in the two days there to touch my heart and become a favorite memory.
Muslim people. We walked into the village about an hour away from the resort, along a sand dirt track big enough for a motorcycle (there is lots of trash just thrown here--piles of 
bottles, and lots of trash laying around) and on to a one lane dirt road. The walking was HOT! and the dirt road dry. Once we left the small village area, the jungle was the only thing we saw besides the electic lines along the road. People would wave and smile, but usually they were at least two on a bike already and there was no more room for two big Westerners. Finally, two bikes stopped and offered us a ride--we gladly took it. I never knew what they were asking us--I think they thought we wanted to go to the port city on the north side. I finally tapped the man on the shoulder to tell him to stop as we were heading out of the village we had come to. We thanked them and gave them some baht and started wandering around the city. We found a small shop with a table to sit. I looked around and picked out a couple of drinks, some chips.
The more we sat there, the more we enjoyed it all and became a part of the life. The woman there was making small Thai snacks with banana leaves. Her husband had brought in large leaves and she was tearing them into snack size "wrappers" and cutting the edges. We watched a deaf man come in, signing to the owners about what he wanted, other locals having coffee and buying a few cigarettes (a pack was too much money, so people bought individual cigarettes from a plastic container). We watched the traffic of motorcycles roll by with birds in cages being carried, propane tanks bungied to the back on others, and young children with their feet barely reaching the pedals driving to their destination. We had settled in!
We decided to walk the village and see what else 
was around.
There were about 3-4 rows of houses and businesses along the water's edge. People were friendly and smiling... we were the only foreigners we saw for the whole day (there are only two places to stay on this island and in our place there were no more than 6 during our three days). Beautifully scarved --fushia, white with sparkles, black, light blue--women walked the streets and rode on the motobikes. Life was all around and here it was evident that everyone knew everyone else. When we had walked around the village, we went back to see how the woman at our first place was coming with whatever was going to be wrapped in the banana leaves. When we got there, her husband was just starting to deep fry small bananas, sliced longways and dipped in a coconut batter. When they were cooked and placed for sale we bought a plate full..a taste treat! She was also making bananas with sweet rice to wrap in the banana leaves. I asked her if they were done (lots of sign language during our time there!) and their kind way, she had her daughter go down to the next place and buy some for us as hers would not be done for a while. We opened up the wrapped banana leaf and bit into the sweet rice and sliced banana.. another taste treat! This shop was along the walkway to get to the place where the village took baths. We saw people walking by the whole time that were wrapped in sarongs or towels carrying their small plastic tub with a bar of soap, toothpaste and toothbrush. And there were many smiles and waves as people walked by us at the table. As we sat there, Rick was watching the people biking by/walking by and said "I am beginning to recognize some of the people going by!" And so was our day in the small village on Ko Libong.. the most remote island I have ever been on in Thailand! It had grown in the two days there to touch my heart and become a favorite memory.We started back along the road, hoping for a ride. An hour later, we had no ride, but the walk
did not seem as long as it had to get there! Back at the resort, we had a drink to cool off, and talked with Dr.Laurence. 
Another friend there was Johnny the dog and he was always joining us when we were at the restaurant. I met him the first night on the beach when I was walking. I am always a little leary of strange dogs, but Johnny was always great, following us around and generally being a constant companion at the resort.
did not seem as long as it had to get there! Back at the resort, we had a drink to cool off, and talked with Dr.Laurence. 
Another friend there was Johnny the dog and he was always joining us when we were at the restaurant. I met him the first night on the beach when I was walking. I am always a little leary of strange dogs, but Johnny was always great, following us around and generally being a constant companion at the resort. 
The beach had been cleaned of the washed up trash. The sunset was always around dinner time 
with the sun setting over the Andaman sea out from the rocky shore. Rick got in some practicing on the recorde. He had never walked in the tide pools at low tide and found he could get lost in looking at all the life there. I enjoyed the hammock with the breeze coming off the water and watched the water.
The women who cooked each night, Muslim women from a short walk and a small village away, always made amazing food and always with a smile. I asked on the last night if they would let me take a picture in the kitchen with them. One of them, as I was leaving for the boat the next morning told me thank you and gave me a hug. I was not sure what the thank you was for, as I was the thankful one--growing to love this island in my short time here.
posted by Tracy at
6:22 PM
